German Patent Application DE 10 2012 222 562 A1 describes a system for managed parking lots for transferring a vehicle from a starting position into a target position. Within the scope of the transfer, the vehicle is driven automatically. This means that during the transfer, the driver him/herself no longer has to be present in the vehicle to manually drive the vehicle.
Such vehicles, which may be automatically transferred from a starting position into a target position with the aid of such a system, are generally operable in a first operating mode in which the motor vehicle may be driven manually, and in a second operating mode in which the motor vehicle may be driven automatically. For automatically transferring the vehicle from a starting position into a target position, it is provided that a change is made from the first operating mode into the second operating mode. Conversely, it is provided that when the transfer has ended, a change is made from the second operating mode into the first operating mode so that a person may take over the vehicle at the target position and drive away manually.
Knowing whether a vehicle is instantaneously driven automatically or manually is relevant in particular for the system which is to automatically drive the vehicle. As long as the vehicle is still being driven manually, changing into the second operating mode is generally not desired. Conversely, a change should not be made into the first operating mode when a person who is to take over the vehicle is not yet ready for this takeover.
In addition, from legal as well as liability standpoints it is relevant to know whether a motor vehicle is instantaneously driven manually or automatically.